


The Second Strongest

by ShepWrites



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, Mammon deserves love, NSFW, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Romance, Self Loathing, Smut, Sweet Sex, Torture, Trigger Warnings, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:28:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22877056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShepWrites/pseuds/ShepWrites
Summary: Mammon was an absolute idiot, and it tended to slip everyone's mind that he was the second strongest, a ruler of the Devildom in his own right. Tonight though, everyone would become painfully aware of what Mammon was capable of. He would, in no uncertain terms, ensure that no one would ever again take what was his.
Relationships: Main Character & Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Main Character/Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!) & Reader, Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Character(s), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Original Female Character(s), Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 30
Kudos: 327





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warnings Apply, please see tags. If I missed any, please let me know!

“Don’t worry, we aren’t going to kill you just yet.” The black haired witch patted Ari’s cheek, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. 

Ari tried to retaliate, but her entire body felt like it was on fire. She knew she was bound somehow, but she couldn't tell how. Magic maybe? It didn’t feel like ropes or chains holding her in place. Every small movement she made to try and understand her position only intensified the burning sensation rippling through her body. 

“It’s almost laughable, isn’t it? They must not really care about their little human if they put our dear Mammon in charge of her.” This time it was the gorgeous blonde who spoke. “This was just too easy!” 

Ari had always been in awe of the witches in the Devildom. They had this supernatural beauty to them, everything they did looked elegant and effortless. She even followed many on Devilgram, wishing that she too could have that kind of beauty and power. However, right now she fully understood why Mammon was so wary of them. Ari had gotten too comfortable being with the brothers, she forgot all their warnings about how dangerous this place really was. She realized her mistake now. When Mammon had called her to let her know he would be unable to walk her home from work, she should have called one of the others like he told her to. She had shrugged it off. It’s not like it was a far walk, and she’d walked it every night before. 

He worried too much, she thought. 

“You don’t really think that he cares for you, do you little human?” Ari opened her heavy eyes to find the black haired witch still in front of her. “You are nothing more than a fleeting infatuation for him.” Ari tried to catch her breath some, the searing heat faded from her body. She realized she’d been crying as the witch reached forward and wiped fresh tears off her cheek before grinning wildly again. In an instant the heat flared again. Ari is sure she screamed, but she couldn't be sure. Her vision blurred, she only saw red. She couldn’t hear anything and all she could feel was her muscles burning beneath her skin. 

“I thought bringing her here would be more fun, but she really is just some boring old human, isn’t she? Is this thing really what he’s been ditching us for? She’s pathetic!”

She couldn't tell which of them was speaking anymore. It didn’t matter. She desperately tried to pull air into her lungs, but it only caused her chest to clench tighter. The pain was getting to be too much. It felt like she had been burning for days now. They would stop the pain for a few moments at a time, only to double it when it came back. She just wanted it to stop. 

Maybe they were right. She had done nothing but cause trouble since she got here. She couldn't even use her pacts to summon one of the brothers for help. She refused to even try. What if one of them got hurt trying to help her? What if Mammon did something stupid? Truly she was a lowly, pathetic human. She could never compare to these beautiful, powerful witches here with her. Ari could feel her body start to give in. She just wanted the pain and voices to stop. She just wanted to sleep. 

The pain faded again, and this time Ari didn’t even try to brace herself for the oncoming onslaught of pain. This time the pain ripped through her and she felt winded. All the air pushed from her lungs as she slumped over against the wall behind her. Finally, finally she could feel it all fade away as everything changed from red to black.

\---

“What do you mean no one has seen her?” Lucifer rose up from the chair in his study. Voice tense as he watched a panicked Mammon pace in front of the door. “She was supposed to be with you.”

“I know! I know..” He had his hands in his hair and his eyes squeezed shut. “I called her to tell her I couldn’t get her today, she was supposed to call someone else to pick her up but I’ve checked with everyone. No one has heard from her and she should have been home HOURS ago. Luci please-”

Lucifer was in front of him now, his hands on his little brothers shoulders. He was unsure if he wanted to calm him, or strangle him. He would never admit it, but it twisted at his insides to see Mammon so worked up this way. He ignored the small spark of pride that his brother was coming to him for help though. Now was not the time. 

“I will make a call to Diavolo. We will track her down. Go get the others. Make sure they keep their D.D.D close.” Lucifer was glad his voice came out much steadier than he felt. 

Not only did seeing Mammon this distraught spark his brotherly instincts, but he knew he cared for Ari just the same.

He and Diavolo had many discussions before the exchange program came into effect about how these types of situations would be handled. They knew that bringing a human to the Devildom would pose certain risks, for them and the human alike. They had prepared. They had thought of every possibility. He just didn’t expect it to feel like this. 

“Go get them. Now.” Lucifer commanded. 

Mammon didn’t need to be told twice. He took off down the hall to the nearest room and started to gather his brothers in the front hall, while Lucifer prepared to summon Lord Diavolo to tell him the news. 

\---

Lord Diavolo had traces put on all the exchange students, even the ones sent to the human world, precisely for this reason. They just needed Barbatos to activate the spell to track them. It was soon determined that Lucifer, Mammon, Beel and Belphie would go and track down Ari, while the others would stay behind on standby. Levi and Satan were about to put up a fight, as they wanted to be included in the rescue mission, but were quickly silenced by a sharp glare from Lord Diavolo. 

“It appears Ari is in the company of some witches.” Barbotos stated, “Powerful ones, no less. From what I can tell, Ophelia and her sisters seem to be involved.” 

Mammon's blood ran cold. Was this all because of him? Ophelia had contacted him last week, but he had blown her off. Again. He knew it was stupid, but he never thought they would involve Ari. Not only had he not been there to protect her, but he was the reason she was in trouble. He clutched at his chest, trying to stop the panic that was crawling up through his insides. He knew exactly what these three were capable of, and they certainly had little regard for a human life.  
If any of his brothers were going to tear a strip off him, seeing him pale, wide eyed and trembling like he was stopped them dead. 

“We need to go now. Everyone knows what to do.” Lucifer instructed. He kept an eye on Mammon, half expecting him to either pass out, or tear out of the house leaving them all behind. Instead, he watched Mammon's' expression change from sheer panic to a fierce determination. They locked eyes for just a moment, before Mammon spun on his heels and walked out the door.

Mammon's thoughts were racing so much that he couldn’t keep up with them. He couldn’t lose her again. He vividly remembered how her body felt in his arms after the Belphie incident. Her body limp and unmoving before it disappeared altogether. He had tried so hard not to think about that memory. After all, she had been right there in front of him moments later, alive and well. 

Surely he was exaggerating. The witches were cruel, but they wouldn’t go so far as to harming her, right? They just simply took her to draw him out, demanding payment for his debt. She would be fine. She had to be fine. She had better be fine.

\---

Debris fell around them as they stepped through the hole in the wall where the door used to be. Taking in the scene in front of him, Lucifer could see Ophelia and her sisters whip around, clearly caught by surprise as they stumbled back a few steps.

In the corner of the room, he saw Ari curled into herself on the floor. Her face was twisted in pain, but he could see her chest heaving. There were inky black marks wrapping around her body starting at her throat and going all the way to her ankles. Some kind of binding spell, it seemed.

“I believe you have something of ours.” Lucifer stepped towards the witches. 

“We have no business with you Lucifer.” Ophelia shot back. “We only require payment from your dear brother.”

“Yet you involved the human. She is Lord Diavolo’s guest, therefore she is very much my business.” He could see Beel and Belphie make their way over to where Ari was lying. “Release her.” 

The witch smirked, but held her arm out. The black tendrils recoiled from around Ari’s form, Beel pulled her into his arms, while Belphegor rested his hand on her head. He watched as her body relaxed some, falling into a dreamless sleep. 

Lucifer waited until the twins were outside the house before turning back to deal with the witches. He fluffed his wings out in a show of power, but a hand latched onto his arm. 

“I’ll deal with them.” Mammons voice was low and angry. He was in his demon form, his face absolutely murderous. 

Lucifer hesitated a moment, but then nodded. “I’ll wait outside.” With one more glance towards the witches, Lucifer turned and left the room. Moments later he saw a flare of blue fire light the inside of the house. 

Mammon was an absolute idiot, and it tended to slip everyone's mind that he was the second strongest, a ruler of the Devildom in his own right. Tonight though, everyone would become painfully aware of what Mammon was capable of. He would, in no uncertain terms, ensure that no one would ever again take what was his. 

“How is she?” Lucifer asked as he met up with the twins.

“She’s breathing better now that Belphie put her to sleep, but she doesn’t look very good.” Beel frowned. 

“Get her back to the House of Lamentation. Asmo will be waiting to get her cleaned up. Belphie, tell Lord Diavolo to send over the royal physician. I want to make absolutely sure there are no lingering side effects. Keep her asleep and comfortable. I’ll be there soon.” His brothers just nodded in understanding, and hurried off down the street. 

He sighed as he looked back towards the house. Flashes of light illuminating all the windows. If he were to give credit where credit was due, Mammon was one of the most controlled out of all his brothers. He would rather bluff and charm his way out of any confrontation. Resorting to violence was more his and Satan’s thing. Over the course of the last few months, Ari had seen even Beel and Levi lose control. And there was never a situation Asmo couldn’t charm his way out of. He wondered what Ari would think, seeing Mammon this way.

It was only a few minutes later when everything went quiet. Lucifer had been leaning against a nearby tree, but stood when he saw Mammon exiting the house. He was back in his normal form, his expression still pained. Lucifer has debated over what Mammon’s punishment would be, but right now he thinks that just maybe one isn’t necessary this time. 

Mammon looked a bit surprised to see Lucifer waiting there, but didn’t say anything. He just stuffed his hands in his coat pocket, and looked down at the ground as if he was expecting a big lecture. 

“Let’s go. They will all be waiting for us with an update.” Lucifer said. When Mammon just nodded in response, he added “Ari is going to be fine.” 

The two oldest brothers made their way back home in silence. 

\---

When they arrived at home, they were met in the entrance hall by Satan and Asmo. 

“Oh, there they are!” Asmo exclaimed. “We were just about to come find you two.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be tending to Ari?” Lucifer quirked an eyebrow in disapproval. 

“She’s upstairs in her room, fast asleep. Beel, Levi and Belphie are with her.” Satan added. “The physician looked her over. Physically, she will be just fine. Seems as though the witches had a bit of fun with their curses though, so we should anticipate some mental strain from that. No way to know though until she wakes up.” 

Mammon had heard enough. He couldn’t listen to this anymore. He stomped up the stairs towards his room. He needed to get away. Asmo kept shooting him these side glances and he just couldn’t take it anymore. He knew this was all his fault, okay?! He knew he had caused Ari to feel pain. He was supposed to be her protector. Instead he may as well have just handed her right over to those damned witches. He really was scum. How was Ari going to look at him now? Surely his brothers won’t hesitate to tell her exactly why she was captured and tortured. Would Lucifer tell her what he did to them? Would she be scared of him? Would she leave the Devildom, and go back home? Is the last image he sees of her going to be her pain filled face in Beel’s arms?

He couldn’t stop the tears streaming down his cheeks as he closed his bedroom door behind him. He sunk down onto the floor, head in his hands.  
She should leave. She should go right back to the human world first thing in the morning. She has been though far too much here. That would be a fitting punishment for him, to never see her again. To live every single day remembering her. Would Diavolo erase her memory so she could move on and be happy? Would she want to forget all of this? Forget him?

He has no idea how long he sits there, his tears dried up a while ago but he can’t bring himself to move. It’s a small knock at the door, Asmo calling his name through the door that pulls him back to reality.

“Come on, Mammon! I know you’re in there.” He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t think he can face anyone quite yet. 

“Ari is awake, she is asking for you.” That got his attention. She wants to see him? She probably just wants to tell him to never speak to her again. To tell him how he failed her.

He hears Asmo sigh through the door. “I’ll tell her you're on your way, okay? Just don’t keep her waiting.” 

Mammon waited until he heard the footsteps fade away down the hall before getting up. He changed into fresh clothes and tried to straighten himself up a little, though he doesn’t think it's much of an improvement. 

He makes his way down the hall towards Ari’s room. Pausing outside the door. He hears Ari’s voice on the other side and his heart clenches. He just wants to see with his own eyes that she's okay. Then she can tell him to leave. She can be as mad as she wants, he deserves that. He just needs to know that she’s alive and well. 

He turns the doorknob before he loses his nerve again. The voices inside quiet as they look over to the door. 

“See, I told you he’d be here in no time!” Asmo jumped up off the bed and gave Ari a small kiss on the forehead. “Belphie and I have to head downstairs anyway, you two catch up, okay?” 

Belphie looked as though he’d rather not leave, but didn’t protest as Asmo practically dragging him out. Both brothers avoided Mammon's eyes as they hurried passed him.

Mammon hesitated before looking back towards the bed where Ari was laying. He carefully closed the door behind him, keeping his gaze focused on her form, but not quite meeting her eyes. 

“Mammon? Are you okay?” Ari tried to sit up, ignoring the screaming pain in her muscles. 

He was at her side in an instant, kneeling beside her bed and pushing her gently back down on the bed. Stupid human, always worried about everyone else, and never herself. 

She reached over and gently grabbed his face, forcing him to look her square in the eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Mammon. I’m sorry if I caused you problems, I-” 

“No, don’t you dare apologize.” He growled. 

“But I should have called-”

“I should have been there. I should have picked you up. I should have made sure you were home safe sooner. I should have made someone get you. I shouldn't have-” 

Ari leaned forward and pressed her lips against Mammon’s. It was just a quick peck, but enough to effectively shut him up. 

“I don’t want to hear it.” She chided quietly, her voice a bit shaky still. “Now can you please just get up here and hold me?” 

Mammon was too taken aback to object. He crawled over her, careful not to jostle her much. He laid on his side facing her, watching as she shifted into him, her arm wrapping around his middle. She sighed happily as his free hand gently stroked her hair back from her face.

How was this even happening to him right now? His brothers must not have said anything to her if she still wants to be close to him. He’d have to tell her everything, but for now he just wants to allow himself this moment of greed. He’d just make sure she was %100 okay, then he’d tell her. 

“Thank you, Mammon. You always come to save me.” Ari whispered. 

“I almost lost you again. And it woulda been all my fault this time.” He whispered back, not trusting his voice to remain steady if he spoke any louder. He was gripping the back of her hair a little tighter now, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“You can’t blame yourself, Mammon. I’m okay.” She smiled at him. “You can’t get rid of me that easy. You’re stuck with me.” 

His heart was doing little flip flops. All he could do was pull her closer and breath her in. He placed a hard kiss on the top of her head. Was this really okay? He didn’t deserve this, he knew that. But he couldn’t bring himself to let go of her. He held her tight against him, afraid that if he let go for even a second she would disappear again. 

He held her as she fell asleep. She looked absolutely exhausted. He told himself that as long as it’s what she wanted, that he would stay here with her. For as long as she would allow him to. 

\---

Lucifer had spent the rest of the night with Barbatos doing damage control. Lord Diavolo had suggested that word of this not leave the house. They returned to the Witch's house and began to hide all evidence of what had occurred. After all, it was the older brother's job to clean up his younger brother's messes. And Mammon had certainly left a mess for him.

When Lucifer finally returned home it was almost morning and it seemed as though everyone had returned to their rooms and settled down for the night. He stopped by Mammon's room and cracked open the door. Seeing that Mammon wasn’t there, he sighed. He should have known better. 

His next stop was Ari’s room. He very delicately opened the door and peeked inside. He didn’t want to wake either of the occupants inside, nor have any of his other brothers see what he was doing. His eyes fell on the two figures wrapped up under the blankets. They looked as though they were clinging to each other for dear life. Mammon's larger frame wrapped protectively around Ari. Her head tucked under his chin, face buried into his chest. He couldn’t help but smile a little as he closed the door and headed back to his room. She was safe again, and in good hands. He had a feeling they wouldn’t be seeing Ari without Mammon any time soon.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contrary to popular belief, he was an angel once upon a time. He knew what it meant to worship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not intend for this chapter to be so angsty, or for the smut at the end, but here we are! *Shrug Emoji*
> 
> Please see updated tags.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Torture, Kidnapping, Panic Attacks, NSFW content.

Mammon woke before Ari the following morning. Though to be fair it wasn’t as if he’d been able to sleep much. He couldn’t stop repeating the night over and over again in his head. If only he’d been there sooner. If only he’d done the one damn job that was actually important to him. 

When he’d gotten the offer for a last minute modeling gig, he’d been thrilled! He’d wanted to surprise Ari with a trip to the amusement park. She’d mentioned how much she loved them in the human world, and after a little research on Deviltube, he’d determined that the park they had here in the Devildom wasn’t all that different.

He was going to play all the games and impress her with how amazing he was at them. 

He’d called Ari right away to tell her, and loved the way she just laughed at his enthusiasm. She’d assured him that she’d message one of the brothers to meet her after work, and to go enjoy looking all gorgeous for the cameras. He’d gone into the shoot with a little extra pep in his step, wondering if she’d buy a copy of the magazine he was featuring in again. 

He should have known better. She was so stubborn. Too proud to ask for help. She never would have considered inconvenienced one of them for her own sake, He should have contacted them first. Beel would have agreed in a heartbeat since he could have eaten there until her shift was done. 

He thought about what would have happened if he’d realized sooner. He thought about what would have happened if he’d been any later. What would they have done if Lord Diavolo hadn’t had the trace put on her? The witches were smart. They’d had her in a location that would have been near impossible to find by any other means. They’d covered their tracks well with their magic. Thankfully, Barabtos’s magical ability far surpassed theirs. 

Vivid images of Ari crumpled up on the floor would be permanently implanted in his memory. Her face scrunched up in pain, eyes and cheeks swollen and puffy. Tear tracks had run down her face and to the side of her neck. Her chest heaving as though she was trying to catch her breath. He could see traces of magic on her. The black binding spell was the most obvious. He’d had that one used on himself once upon a time. But there seemed to be something more than just the binding. He didn’t know what it was, but it was causing her pain. 

He wasn’t going to let it continue. He kept his eyes locked on her frame until he saw her safely in Beel’s arms. He watched as her body relaxed some under Belphegor’s power. As much as he wanted to go snatch her up himself and run her to safety, he knew if he didn’t deal with the witches now then there was every chance that they could hurt her again. 

The thought made his blood boil. They wouldn’t lay a hand on her ever again. On anyone, ever again. He was her protector, and he would remind everyone what exactly he could do if they tried to hurt his human.

A shift in weight beside him snapped him back to the present as Ari clenched beside him, faced pinched and her breathing uneven. Was she still hurting? Was she having a nightmare? His gut felt like someone was jamming a hundred needles into him and wiggling them all around. Without really thinking about it, his fingers gently combed through her soft locks. Something he’d always loved her doing for him. Mammon hoped it would be half as comforting to her as it was to him. 

After a while her breathing evened out and her expression relaxed. He wondered what it would be like to be like this every day with her. To hold her in his arms as they both fell asleep, her cute little snores oddly calming. To wake up to her kissing his cheek and nuzzling into his side. To argue with her over who was the bigger blanket hog. 

His heart both ached and yearned for it. It seemed like too good a daydream for someone like him. There was no way he could ever be so lucky. First of all, she would eventually go back to the human world, and he would be left here all alone. Lucifer would tell him how stupid he was for getting attached. Look what happened when Lillith fell in love with a human, he would say. 

Secondly, when she woke up she would probably never speak to him again. She would say he almost got her killed because he chose to make a quick buck instead of coming to get her. Why didn’t he save her sooner? 

He would accept whatever punishment she doled out. He would accept Lucifer's punishment too. He knew it was coming eventually, though he wasn’t scared this time. Ari’s punishment would be 100 times worse, no matter what she did.

Maybe, just for a moment, he could let himself pretend. Before she woke up and he had to face the truth, he was going to let his greedy disposition take liberties and dream of the life he wants to have together with Ari. 

\---

He awoke sometime later and saw a platter of food sitting on a chair next to the bed. He wondered which of his brothers brought it in. Most likely Beel. He was always making sure Ari got enough to eat. Usually it annoyed him, because he was perfectly capable of taking care of her himself thank you very much. But Mammon couldn’t help but feel a wave of fondness over the gesture this time. His brothers would make sure Ari was taken care of, even if he couldn’t. His fondness only grew when he realized there was food set out for both of them. He would have to thank Beel later.

Although he couldn’t even fathom the idea of eating right now, he could not deny nature was calling and he desperately needed to use the bathroom.

He didn’t know what to do. Ari was still curled right up against his chest, her hand clutching the front of his shirt. She hadn’t moved an inch since they had fallen asleep last night. Mammon ultimately decided it was best to hurry and get it over with so he could get back to her. He gently grabbed her hand and pulled himself out of her grip, shifting his weight back as softly as he could. He would try and wake her when he got back - she really should try and eat something. Her cheeks were lacking their usual rosy colour. He also needed to know that she was okay. He needed to hear her voice, even if she was yelling at him. 

He managed to dislodge himself finally and made his way to the bathroom as quickly as possible. When he was done, he realized his D.D.D was laying on the chair beside the food bowls. He stretched a little as he checked the time, seeing several missed calls and messages from his brothers. It had been well over 24 hours since they’d gotten back to the House of Lamentation. One message in particular stood out, shocking him. It was from Lucifer.

Let me know if Ari requires anything at all, understood?

Make sure you take care of yourself too, little brother. 

It was rare for his siblings to show that they cared, but Mammon really did appreciate them. He would find a way to repay them for helping bring Ari back home.

Mammon looked over to Ari’s still sleeping figure, debating with himself if he really wanted to wake her just yet. She should rest and honestly he just wanted to curl right back up beside her again. 

He sighed. It was time to face the inevitable.

He crawled over her again and layed on the bed in front of her so she was facing him. 

“Hey, Ari...common, you need to eat something.” He ran his thumb over her cheek, and when she didn’t budge, he ran his hand down to her shoulder and shook her gently. 

This time Ari shifted and her face scrunched up in displeasure as she tried to nuzzle back into him. “mm ..just a few more minutes.” 

“You can sleep more after you’ve at least eaten something. I need to make sure you’re okay first, ‘kay?” He hated how weak his own voice sounded. “Here, let’s sit ya up better.” 

Ari made no effort to move. 

“Mammon?” Her voice sounded pained, and the look on her face made his stomach lurch. “Last night wasn’t a bad dream, was it?” 

“No...Ari I-”

“But you’re okay? Did anyone get hurt?” 

Mammon cracked. He scooped her up and hugged her tightly against him. 

“Why do you always gotta be like that, huh? Do you have any idea what they did to you? What they coulda done?” He thinks he might be borderline hysterical at this point. How could she be so flippant about her own safety like that?

“I know, Mammon, I know. But it’s okay. I’m okay. I have you. You saved me, just like you always do. Asmo told me that you.. uh.. took care of the witches..” She pressed her forehead into the crook of his neck and whispered, “Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t be thankin me, it’s all my fault. You never should have been involved. I screw up a lot, I know that, but you could have died, Ari! Don’t you get that?”

“I’m starting to think I’m just accident prone.” She couldn’t help but give him a small, teasing smile. She just wanted him to smile again. Mammon was her one constant light. They were always smiling and laughing together. Through everything that had happened since she got here, Mammon has been by her side. He defended her, protected her, and always managed to cheer her up again. If he broke now, she might not be able to keep it all together. 

In the human world, it was her job to keep calm in stressful situations. To assess a situation and the condition of the pained person in front of her, and then help them. 

She shifted in his arms to that she was practically straddling his lap. Her whole body ached and complained. She wasn’t completely convinced the curse was gone, because her body felt like fire. She was sure her arms were shaking as she grabbed Mammon’s face in her hands, but she hoped he wouldn’t notice. 

“Mammon, look. You can’t blame yourself for this. I certainly don't. I was warned from day one of all the potential ways the residents here may try to kill me. Even your own brothers have taken their fair shot at me! But you have always been there. Always. You always just swoop right in and save me. I have never felt safer in my whole life than when I’m with you. And honestly I don’t care about the risks if it means I can be here, with you.” Not exactly how she planned on confessing, but the timing felt right. She needed him to know and for him to stop punishing himself over this. 

She needed her rock back so she could deal with this.

Mammon’s heart felt it was flopping between stopping altogether and then beating so fast he thought it would explode. She needed him? She knows everything that had happened, what he’d done, and she still wanted to be around him? She wasn’t going to call him a failure?

No, it didn’t make sense. She should be screaming at him. This is still his fault, why can’t she see that? If he’d just-

“I love you, Mammon.” 

He was about to argue when she tilted his head up, “Look at me. I love you.” 

“You can’t really mean that..” His voice was shaking. If she was kidding, this would truly be the cruelest punishment. But the look in her eyes gave him a spark of hope, it twisted all the way up his insides and stuck in his throat. 

“I do. I mean it. I love you.” She kissed his forehead, and moved her hands to the back of his neck. 

“I love you,” She kissed his cheek. “I love you,” She kissed the other cheek. “I. Love. You.” She kissed his lips. 

As she went to pull away, Mammon pulled her back in. He returned the kiss with desperation and only stopped when she had to come up for air. He took in her expression, her face was warm and she was smiling that beautiful smile. 

“I’m going to need you to keep doin that.” Mammon says, a bit breathlessly. 

“What, telling you I love you or the kissing?”

“Both.”

“There’s my Mammon.” Ari smiled as she leaned into his arms again. Mammon pulled her close and kissed her head. 

“I love you, too.” He wasn’t sure if he deserved this, maybe it was all a dream. But where Ari was concerned, he was going to take whatever he could get. However much love and affection she was willing to give, he was going to take. In return, he would give her his everything. Nothing in all the realms could even come close to consuming him like she did. 

Mammon noticed she sagged a little in his arms. So caught up in all his emotional rollercoaster he had almost forgotten that she still needed to rest and recover. 

He’d managed to convince her to eat at least a few bites of food before she was too tired to bother. He helped to and from the bathroom, and couldn’t help but frown when he saw how pale and shaky she was just from the small amount of exertion. He almost called Lucifer to request the doctor come back and make sure she was okay, but Ari was adamant she just needed to sleep it off. 

“Don’t make me use the pact to make you come back to bed.” She said, thought there was no real threat in her voice. She would never really use the pact to make any of them do anything, and he knew it. 

Mammon reluctantly crawled into bed beside her after she agreed the doctor could come back tomorrow if she still wasn’t feeling better. That was enough for him for now. Besides, he wasn’t really complaining. She wasn’t kicking him out. She wanted him to be here. She needed him. She loved him. 

Mammon big spooned himself around Ari, she was already out like a light. If this was all a dream, he was going to let himself soak it all in until he woke up. 

He fell asleep thinking of all the things they would do together when she was able. He was going to take her to that amusement park. He was going to take her to Madam Devians and buy her all the human candies she wanted. They would have more movie nights with his brothers, and he would hold her hand though the scary parts (definitely not the other way around - he's not scared!). They would visit the human world - she could show him where she lived, all her favourite places. When they made the panda stuffie together, she had mentioned there was a sanctuary that you could visit and play with the panda’s so long as you volunteered your time to help. Mammon never volunteered his time if there was no payment, but he couldn’t help but want to see Ari’s big smile while cuddling up to an actual panda. Just thinking about it made his heart feel like it would burst from the sheer cuteness of it.

Tonight, he slept better than he had in a long time.

\---

It had taken a few more days before Ari felt like she was able to move around without exhausting herself completely. She had to admit though, the bed rest was a nice break. Between Mammon and his brothers keeping her company, she didn’t have time to think about anything that had happened with the witches. No one brought it up either, which she was very thankful for. Before she knew it, a whole week had flown by. 

It was overwhelming, the amount of care all the brother had showed her. Levi had shown up in her room with an abundance of games. He and Mammon had played while Ari watched, occasionally dozing off. Satan had brought her school work and helped her complete it so that she wouldn’t fall too far behind. The twins had come to visit for every meal, ensuring that she ate and had company at all times. Asmo had ran her the most amazing bath, followed by a skincare routine that left her feeling like a million bucks. Lucifer had even joined them all for a couple movie nights. Mammon didn’t leave her side for all of it. His brothers were good at hiding it, but they were taking care of him just as much as they took care of her. 

Today, she had an urge to get out of her stuffy room and do something. She decided that she would make herself some food to start. 

Ari got herself out of bed and dressed into fresh clothes. It felt nice to move around again and stretch her muscles. They still ached a little, but no more than they did after a good workout. 

When she arrived in the kitchen, she hummed to herself while she gathered up all the stuff she needed from the cabinets. Placing a pot of water on the stove, she turned the dial and saw the blue fire on the burner flare up. 

It made her heart stop.

A tight pressure clutching at her chest. She could see the blue aura tightening around her body as the witched shrill laugh filled the air around her. She could feel it. It coiled around her, getting tighter and tighter. She stumbled backwards into the island in the kitchen and grasped desperately for the edge to grab onto. The panic was grasping at her throat and she was struggling to suck a breath in. Was she going to die here? Heart attack? No. No. this wasn’t unfamiliar. Breathe. Just fucking breathe! She reached forward and shut the burner off with a shaking hand. Just get to your room. It’s right there. Breathe. Just move. Move, move, move.

Her heart was beating at such a painful speed and she doesn’t know how she made it back to her room, but she collapsed onto the bed as she felt her body desperately gasp for breath. A familiar tingling sensation had crept from her fingertips straight through her entire body and sealed somewhere between her throat and chest. She tried to slow her breathing, but all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. 

She wondered if she could slow her breathing enough to call Mammon. She needed a distraction, but if she called him now she would only worry him. She didn’t want him to think that something bad was going to happen every time he left her. She could deal with this. She had a million times before. She was safe here. She was safe here. She was safe here. She doesn’t know how many times she repeated the mantra, but it was starting to settle down. 

When she was finally able to gain a bit more control of her breathing, she inhaled a deep breath and held it ...2...3...4… then exhaled it as slowly as she possibly could. It took a couple repeats, but finally the panic started to dissipate.

Ari pulled back the covers and burritoed herself in the heavy comforter. She felt stupid. Stupid and weak. The panic attack had drained her, and she was back to feeling how she did a few days ago. Was she really not going to be able to even make herself some food? Was this going to happen all the time? Did the witches really break her? 

Feeling herself start to spiral again, Ari reached into her pocket and pulled out her D.D.D. 

“Yooo Ari! How ya doin?” 

“Hey, Mammon.” Her voice came out a bit weaker than she’d intended it to, but she found she couldn’t bring herself to fake a cheery tone. 

“Eh? Did something happen?” She felt guilty at the worried tone, he’d been so happy when he first answered.

“No, nothing happened. I was just feeling anxious and wanted to hear your voice.” 

“Ah! So you called The Great Mammon for comfort? Good on ya!” Ari smiled. Yeah, this is what she needed. 

“Listen, Ari! You’ll never guess what I got for us! When you see it, you won’t be able to contain your excitement!” 

“What is it?”

“Not tellin! I wanna see the look on your face when you throw your arms around me an’ tell me how much you love it!”

Mammon really was excited to give her something. She’d been so subdued the last few days, he wanted her to smile and laugh with him again. He didn’t think there was anything he wouldn’t give to have that back. For now though, he felt pride in the fact that she was coming to him for comfort. He was the one that could make her feel better. He made her happy. He was the one she thought of. He was the luckiest Demon in the Devildom!

He heard a small giggle on the line, his heart fluttered. 

“I can’t wait.”

\---

After Ari had called, he’d decided he didn’t need to finish off the rest of the days errands. He just wanted to get back to her. He finished up his current purchase and hastily made his way back home

Throwing open the door to her room, Mammon found her wrapped up tight in the blankets. It would have been really freakin cute, had it not been for the puffy, watery eyes. 

“I figured I’d bring you some good grub, now that ya feel like eatin’ again!” Mammon said, placing the take out boxes on the side table.

“Thanks, Mammon.” Ari felt a wave of affection, noticing it was from her favourite restaurant. He really was sweet. “Is this the surprise you were talking about?” 

“Nah, this is.” He looked excited as he handed her an envelope. “Just take it!” 

Ari carefully broke the seal and pulled out two tickets. Reading them, she couldn’t help the tears that welled up in her eyes. It had been an emotional day, and this idiot just had to go and do all this sweet stuff for her. 

“H-hey! Don’t cry, I thought you’d be grateful!” Mammon sputtered. “You’d mentioned how you’d missed the amusement park-” 

Ari threw off the blanket and launched herself into Mammon’s lap, arms wrapped tightly around him.

“It’s perfect. You’re perfect. Thank you so much, for everything.” She looked at him, not really caring that the happy tears were falling down her cheeks.

Mammon’s thumb swept them away gently. 

Any previous anxiousness Ari had felt had completely disappeared when Mammon had returned. He had somehow become such a grounding force for her. It hit her then that he had cared for her just as much as she did for him. She couldn’t imagine her life without him anymore. The witches couldn’t break her anymore, because Mammon had made sure of it. With him, she was whole again. 

She wanted him to know that.

\---

Mammon’s wasn’t sure how much more his heart could take. Ari was sitting in his lap, her face in his hands and she was giving him this look. A look he had never seen on her before. Something had sparkled in her eyes and he couldn’t look away. Suddenly, Ari had her hands on the side of her face, and was kissing him with such an urgency, Mammon’s brain seemed to completely malfunction. Instinctively his arms wrapped around her waist as he pulled her closer, returning the kiss full force.Her hands trailed down his sides until they reached the hem of his shirt. Her hands were soft on his skin as she pushed the shirt up. 

Mammon broke the kiss just long enough to help her pull his shirt up over his head. His head was spinning as he watched her pull her own shirt off. He took in the sight of her bare skin, a light pink lacy bra covering her soft mounds.

She wasted no time in reaching behind her back and releasing the clasp, exposing herself to him. He caught her lips with his again, harder and more desperate this time. He let his hands roam, first along her back, then to her stomach, before running his thumbs over her breasts. The sharp gasp she let out only served as fuel for him to continue. He needed to hear that again. To see what other noises he could coax out of her. He needed more of her. 

She seemed just as eager as she grasped the back of his neck and pulled them down on the bed. The new position allowed him to explore more of her. He trailed soft kisses down her neck, stopping to nip mark her collarbone. When he reached her chest, he could feel her fingers laced in his hair, and he knew if he kept going he’d very soon be at the point of no return. 

“Ya sure about this? If we keep going I’m not going to be able to stop.” He warned. 

Her only response was her fingers clutching his hair and pushing him gently downwards, urging him to continue. A deep growl rumbled in his throat as he made his way down her body. His kisses hot and eager against his skin. 

Mammon reveled in the sharp gasps and little moans she was making. His mind was racing, thinking about all the things he wanted to do to her- all the noises he wanted to hear. She sounded so damn beautiful when she moaned his name like that. Most of that would have to wait though, there would be plenty of time for him to play out all his fantasies. She was his now, and she was still weaker than usual, so he would take his time and just enjoy her this round. 

He would make sure she understood just how much he adored her. 

Contrary to popular belief, he was an angel once upon a time. He knew what it meant to worship.

Being the avatar of greed, Mammon’s lovemaking tended to err on the side of fast, hard and needy. But being like this with Ari was different. They shared soft kisses and caresses, whispering sweet nothings that carried all through the night. There was more passion than he was sure he had ever felt when he finally took her. Both of them so tangled up in one another, not knowing where one body started and the other stopped. 

When they’d both reached their climax, they fell back into the pillows, Ari rolled and placed her head on Mammon’s chest, throwing one leg over his, not caring that they were a sweaty, messy heap on her sheets. They basked together in the afterglow, just enjoying the feel of fingertips tracing gently over skin as their breathing slowed and lulled them into a blissful sleep.

The nightmares and anxieties would surely continue for the both of them, they both knew it. They would have each other though, their own grounding force to keep them sane and pull them back out of the deep end. It was everything they both needed and more. There wasn’t a soul in all three worlds that could come between them now. 

He was her first man after all. The Second Born of the Seven Rulers of Hell. The worlds would burn before anyone laid a hand on her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank everyone so so much for taking the time to give koodos and comment! Every comment made me a blushy mess at work. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint, it got longer than I'd anticipated! I really wanted them to have a happy lovey dovey end, but also wanted to keep it realistic!
> 
> Please let me know what you think! 
> 
> Please hit me up with suggestions or requests! You can also find me on tumblr : strawhatshepard
> 
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry yall, I'm a sucker for angsty Mammon. I keep asking for angsty headcannons on tumblr, so i figured I may as well just write my own. Please tell me what you think! I'm always looking to improve my writing skills. Chapter 2 should be up tomorrow, I intended this to only be one chapter, but it kind got away from me and now it's 2am. Fluff and aftermath comin right up!


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